Recent research has aimed at understanding the reasons behind alcohol abuse in adolescents. This research is not only limited to the study and understanding of the biological basis of this behavior but also proposes interventions to avoid this abusive consumption. The objective, therefore, is to establish intervention strategies (in this particular case pharmacological) to prevent abusive alcohol consumption and thus mitigate the consequences of such consumption (development of addictions, health problems, etc.) in adulthood.
Ignacio Morón, CIMCYC researcher, has published an article in the journal Drug and Alcohol Dependence with researchers from the National University of Córdoba (Argentina), the University of Alabama at Birmingham and the Institute for Biosanitary Research of Granada. “Traditionally, our research group has studied Sigma-1 receptor agonists and antagonist drugs for pain treatment. We are now also studying the effect of these Sigma-1 receptor agonists and antagonists on substance abuse,” says Morón. In this research, they have not only demonstrated the effectiveness of Sigma-1 antagonists in preventing alcohol abuse in adolescents but have also gained a better understanding of how Sigma-1 receptors mediate this effect.
In this sense, it seems that these receptors may be modulating the degree of aversiveness of alcohol in people.
Thus, Sigma-1 antagonists would increase the aversiveness of alcohol. Thus, Sigma-1 receptor antagonists would increase the feeling of aversion to alcohol, which would lead the subject to avoid its consumption.
Thus, by reducing alcohol consumption in adolescence, the development of an abusive pattern in adulthood associated with early drinking experiences could be prevented.
Reference:
Salguero, A., Marengo, L., Cendán, C. M., Morón, I., Ruiz-Leyva, L., & Pautassi, R. M. (2024). Ethanol drinking at adulthood is sensitive to S1-R antagonism and is promoted by binge ethanol self-administration at adolescence. Drug and alcohol dependence, 260, 111338. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.drugalcdep.2024.111338